xx_meraki
In a city where names carry weight, Adriel Villarmente chooses to carry none of his. He trades privilege for purpose, working quietly in community projects, believing that a life built with his own hands will always mean more than one handed to him.
Fresh from a landslide victory as mayor, Zild Fabillar carries both the pride and expectations of the people who raised him. He's confident, capable, and used to being at the center of everything.
Until someone refuses to see him that way. Unmoved by status and unimpressed by charm, Adriel becomes the one thing Zild can't have and the one person he can't ignore. What begins as resistance turns into something deeper, something dangerous, because the more they collide, the more they begin to unravel each other.
But life and love has a way of demanding truth. So when the life Adriel left behind threatens to catch up with him, both are forced to confront who they really are beyond privilege, expectations, and carefully constructed identities.
And sometimes, love asks the hardest question of all:
Who do you hold on to and who do you leave behind?